Building Research Research Articles

Risk Identification and Analysis in the Development of Medical Devices Among Start-Ups: Towards a Broader Risk Management Framework.

IntroductionWhilst risk management has become fundamental in the development of medical devices, enforced by regulations and international standards, there is still no comprehensive model that explains how risk management in medical devices’ development should be tackled, especially with regard to the type of risks that should be addressed. Risk management in the medical devices’ development field is currently focused on technical risks, comprising product, usability, and development process risks, in alignment with standards’ requirements and regulations, without giving enough attention to non-technical risks, which include business and project risks. Start-ups within this heavily regulated domain have a key role in the innovation process, yet they suffer a structural lack of tangible, such as financial capacity, and intangible resources such as development, risk management, and regulations’ compliance. Nonetheless, they can still optimize their risk identification coverage beyond the enforced requirements to increase their products’ chances of success.MethodsA set of qualitative interviews, serving the adopted grounded theory building research method, with seven start-ups who are involved in the development, commercialization, and quality control of medical devices was accomplished. The purpose was to determine the applied risk management practices and most importantly identify the risk types covered by them. Since every start-up is a project by itself, a sample of project risks, as identified by the project management institute, was utilized to scope the risk coverage and flag missing non-technical risks by the participating start-ups.ResultsUn-identified risk types, lack of involvement of the right teams, and other related loopholes were presented.DiscussionA list of requirements was developed and sketched in a user-friendly risk management framework, which is believed to be crucial in helping start-ups attain successful, safe, and regulatory compliant medical devices production, is shared in the discussion and proposed framework section of this paper.

EDITORIAL SCOPE – BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT EDITION

The second editorial scope of the Journal of Civil Engineering, Science, and Technology (JCEST) emphasizes one of the main disciplines of civil engineering, namely building and construction management. The continued development of management theories has continuously influenced construction project delivery practices. The knowledge gained from R&D could enhance construction management practices towards excellent performance in the delivery of built-environment projects. This brief editorial piece highlights the themes of building and construction management in the last 10 years by gathering information from the freely-accessible Scopus database and the most published area of JCEST from the perspective of common keywords found in published papers. Based on the civil, building and construction management research field, the top 10-ranked keywords were found based on Scopus database and “Construction” is the top keyword found based on the articles on building and construction management published in JCEST. The aim of this exercise is to provide a brief guide to researchers to explore the state-of-the-art knowledge in the area of building and construction management in the construction industry.

Investigating the possible structural damage scenarios of Niavaran Complex in Tehran-Iran

The Niavaran Complex features a mix of architectural styles with elements from modernism and traditional Iranian architecture and is situated in the northern part of Tehran. The Sahebqaraniyeh Heritage Palace from the time of Naser al-Din Shah of the Qajar dynasty is located in this complex (1846–1896). Based on the initial investigation done by Iran’s Cultural Heritage Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, significant damages and cracking were observed in structural elements of the palace (walls and roofs). Since early 2014, the monument has been closed to the public, and in-depth assessment has been carried out. The study includes the seismicity of the Niavaran fault, soil liquefaction, landslides, land subsidence and historical aspects, such as the removal of stabilising walls about half a century ago and the reduction in underground water level. Detailed field investigation and experimental testing were performed by the Building and Housing Research Center of Iran. One of the main investigations was on the influence of deep excavations downstream in the south part of the palace. The outcomes of structural, geotechnical, geophysical and other related investigations indicated that the Niavaran Cultural/Historic Complex has been damaged significantly in the past decades and is in urgent need of retrofitting/strengthening.

Building research capacity in an under‐represented group: The STAARS program experience

AbstractFor decades, the lack of high‐quality empirical economic research on the state of Africa's agriculture and rural economies has been an important factor impeding the formulation of evidence‐based policy on the continent. The Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces program aims to build a critical mass of early career African scholars and policy research through an emphasis on mentorship and professional development to help remedy that deficiency. This paper explains the motivations, origins, and outcomes to date of the program, and offers lessons learned for others wishing to create research capacity development opportunities for under‐represented groups.

RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION IN REHABILITATION PAKISTAN

The ORIC Ziauddin University ensures that the quality of research meets international standards and ethics. The world is spinning around the data which leads to the strategies and ideas to be developed for genuine needs and development. Rehabilitation 2030 has targeted to reach out to the unmet need for rehabilitation in the health care system through building research capacity and promoting sturdy pieces of evidence for rehabilitation. Many research journals with the definite scope of rehabilitation has come into existence that involve the six domains of rehab sciences that is physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, orthotics and prosthetics, clinical psychology, vocational therapy . To meet the need of population the evidences are still very rare that emphasize the integration of rehabilitation in the health care system for the quality care. The Higher education commission Pakistan has accentuated on research, innovation and commercialization (RIC) as an integral part of all universities to develop research, promote innovation and provide accessible services through commercialization that meet population need. RIC is the link between the academic laboratories and evidence based practice, ideas and inventions and research and industry. It is very crucial for rehabilitation students and practitioner to understand the role of RIC in order to reach out the end user, stakeholders and industry for not only the quality service but for the accessible facility in the health care system. The collaborative efforts of RIC will lead the rehabilitation sciences to the bench mark practices and accelerate the process of development by intensifying the scientific research, data building and innovation in the rehab field for the delivery of the services.

Impact of zoning heating and air conditioning control systems in users comfort and energy efficiency in residential buildings

Nowadays, in the residential sector, a widely used Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning system is the ducted direct expansion inverter system based on the on/off control of a single zone, which cannot guarantee the thermal comfort in each room of the building. As a solution, the standard EN 15,232 regulates the use of control systems including thermal zoning as a fundamental condition in the energy efficiency in buildings. The zoning system can adapt the equipment working regime to meet the thermal demand in each zone monitoring the air temperature according to users’ preferences ensuring the thermal comfort in each zone. Framed in this goal, in contrast to complex and costly control systems, this paper presents a new zoned control system based on thermostats and motorized dampers in each zone, a control board and a communication gateway which allows the communication between the unit and the control board to set operational parameters as the speed of the fan or the supply air set point temperature.The practical feasibility of this new control system is presented with a thermo-economic comparison analysis with respect the conventional in the context of the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology certification scheme. The model of the zoning system together with implemented control algorithms is developed in TRNSYS17 and the case of study is a residential dwelling in three different Spanish cities. The results show how the thermal zoning control contributes to adapt the thermal energy to each zone in a more efficient way. Moreover, the regulation of the motorized dampers, fan speed and set point temperature of the unit ensures the thermal comfort in all the zones of the building guaranteeing a category B according to the standard regulations. Finally, from the point of view of energy consumption, energy savings from 21 to 42% are obtained, resulting in payback periods of the installation from 3.2 to 4.3 years.

The Comparative Analysis of the Scoring System Used in BREEAM International New Construction 2016 and the Recent Trends in Housing Sustainability-Related Literature

Paying attention to the sustainability of houses and any effort in this direction can be extremely important in achieving more sustainable societies. In this regard, sustainability assessment tools and more specifically the certificates that are used to evaluate the sustainability of urban houses can play major roles and, therefore, present points that need to be as efficient as possible. The study is an attempt at analyzing the efficiency of BREEAM (The British Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), as one of the most advanced and highest used certificates (in the world) in the housing sector, based on the results from a systematic literature review. To achieve this goal, the scoring system used in the BREEAM International New Construction 2016 is evaluated in order to see if the credits and weightings that are assigned to the assessment issues are aligned with the trends existing in the recent literature related to urban housing sustainability. The results of a previously published systematic review of 118 recent papers are used to extract the most important factors (and their importance degrees) affecting the sustainability of urban houses on a global scale. The analysis outcome shows significant differences in the prioritization of factors and the importance degree given to each factor between the BREEAM evaluation process and the literature review factors.

Epistemology of Postmodern Cartographic Research and Engineering of Scientific Knowledge Building

The new technologies revolution has driven an epistemological rupture between modern and postmodern cartographic research. It has fertilized a new engineering of construction postmodern cartographic knowledge based on a fivefold epistemological foundation: naturalist (descriptive epistemology), normative (prescriptive epistemology), operational (experimental epistemology), critical (radical epistemology) and activist (epistemology activist). In practice, postmodern cartographic research is implemented from the paradigm of epistemological syncretism with four postures: constructivist (qualitative variable), post-positivist (quantitative variable), systemist (quantitative and qualitative variables) and interventionist (quantitative and/or qualitative variable). The epistemological positioning here consists in adopting one of these postures and implementing its specific methodological approach. The present study thus attempts to level the deficit of epistemological framing of postmodern cartographic research, which innovates with criticality, radicality and activist-commitment, while perpetuating axiological neutrality and methodological rigor. These innovations thus seal the break with the neutrality or knurling of university activism in the modern era. In other words, cartographic postmodernism opens a new era of academic activism for radical change.

Control Supply Chain Risks in Digital Transformation

Digital transformation contributes to enterprise supply chain resilience, but how to control the risks involved and whether this control contributes to supply chain resilience remains to be explored. This paper aims to clarify the relationship between risk control and resilience in the process of digital transformation and to construct a digital transformation supply chain risk (DTSCR) control process system. In this paper, we first use the SLRs method to retrieve 469 papers to construct a dimensional system of DTSCR from the theoretical perspective; we then test whether DTSCR control helps supply chain resilience through a structural equation model; finally, based on the case study of the institute of building materials of China Academy of Building Research, we use a Bayesian believe network to construct a risk control system. Our research contributes to existing literature by improving supply chain resilience from a risk perspective, and the risk control system innovatively constructed in this paper is also of significance for enterprises to carry out DTSCR control in practice.

The green design of high-rise buildings: how is the construction industry evolving

PurposeGreen building, which is also commonly referred to as sustainable building, is focused on the processes implemented that are environmentally efficient and responsible throughout the life cycle of the building. This accounts for the time of manufacturing of materials, to the erection of these materials, on-site, to the operation of the building and how these efficient materials assist in the operation and running of the building daily, all the way through to the demolition. There are many aspects of the building process that can be switched to green. For the construction industry, the change to green design although the complex is nonetheless necessary. This study thus aims to focus on supporting the knowledge surrounding green buildings in high-rise construction. This research will undertake a comparative analysis and review of one case study in Melbourne, Australia.Design/methodology/approachThe direction of this study commences with an introductory section on what it means to build green. This section is further brokendown to evaluate what factors are involved in constructing a green building. The work then shifts towards the green building from a sustainability point of view, touching base with the level of awareness that is surrounding the green building and the level of ignorance that goes with this. Furthermore, the research includes specific pointers which are strategically placed to directly grab the attention of those who lack knowledge in the area of green building by offering a brief, yet in-depth, discussion of possible materials that can be incorporated in the construction phase and will, in turn, create for a more efficient building. As such, life cycle energy is then introduced and calculations are carried out. These calculations offer a more logical form of validation to the previous points and issues raised, with the hope to achieve a more in-depth grasp of the process involved with green building.FindingsThrough comprehensive research, this paper has found the following outcomes. (1) A detailed insight into the contributing factors to green building in high-rise construction and the construction industry in general. (2) An increased understanding of the current status of green buildings within the construction industry. (3) The creation of an effective research methodology plan to implement throughout this research. The appropriate steps and measures, that were required to deliver a successful research piece, included all relevant information. (4) The level of involvement required when calculating the energy levels, including how to perform these calculations when given the correct data, and what these calculations mean concerning what they are defining.Originality/valueThe potential contribution that can be gained from this research is the awareness that is raised in the research and development of green buildings in high-rise construction. This can be achieved by the use of certain materials such as new energy-efficient building materials, recycled materials, etc. Through the incorporation of certain green building methods, an opportunity for cost savings becomes an incentive for the client and builder as the chance for a larger profit margin becomes readily available. In addition to these issues that are anticipated for the potential contribution through this research, the sustainability aspects are also expected to prevail as the construction industry is likely to evolve with changing standards and expectations due to the publicity high-rise buildings achieve, it is more than likely that this research discussion will be adopted willingly and positively promoted for all those involved within the construction industry to get involved. The intention remains that this research paper will be able to contribute a new way of thinking and a new approach to the way of building in the 21st century. As this would be the ideal outcome, the aim remains to portray and deliver information surrounding the views that remain for and against the implementation of green buildings in high-rise construction.

Energy-saving optimization based on residential building orientation and shape with multifactor coupling in the Tibetan areas of western Sichuan, China

ABSTRACT Following field-based research and testing of residential buildings in Tibetan areas of western Sichuan, this study studied the interactions between and dynamic effects of geographic and meteorological elements. By quantifying the combined influence of geographical and meteorological elements on building orientation, the concept of the total orientation-based mean temperature difference was introduced, and a method for obtaining the optimum building orientation was provided based on an equation for calculating the average temperature difference by orientation. By quantifying the coupled influence of geographical and meteorological elements on building shape, an approach for optimizing building shape designs based on an equation for calculating the optimal building width was created. We found that a linear expression cannot be used to describe the quantitative relationship between the average indoor temperature and building orientation. When the horizontal solar radiation intensity was ≤6.44 MJ/m2 d, the primary consideration in building design was the shape coefficient. When the horizontal solar radiation intensity was >6.44 MJ/m2 d, the building width was the main evaluation index, and the shape coefficient was the auxiliary index. Based on the above findings, we propose a design scheme for optimizing the orientation and shape of buildings in major cities in western Sichuan.

Editorial Policy

Editorial Policy

THE POST-OCCUPANCY DILEMMA IN GREEN-RATED BUILDINGS: A PERFORMANCE GAP ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT The traditional construction industry has a significant and far-reaching impact on the environment, economy, and society. Green-certified buildings, with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), DGNB (Deutsches Gütesiegel Nachhaltiges Bauen), or other certifications during the design stage, have great potential for increasing the effective use of resources and energy, reducing pollution, etc., and so their number has increased greatly in recent years. The post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of green buildings involves assessing whether they meet expected performance during the in-use phase and comprises four steps: (i) carrying out the research purpose/goal; (ii) determining the research objectives; (iii) conducting data collection, analysis, and visualization; and (iv) obtaining the results and drawing conclusions. However, there is a lack of reviews of POE research and analysis of reasons for actual performance gaps. In response and through a comprehensive literature review/analysis, this article summarizes the actual performance gaps of various greencertified projects, analyzes the reasons for failures, and proposes potential solutions. It is found that 74%, 12%, and 14% of the projects perform better, similar, and worse, respectively, than their non-green counterparts. Future POE green building projects can be optimized from the perspective of the building, user, and POE system. To optimize green building actual performance, it is important to ensure the sufficient education of installation and maintenance personnel and occupants’ green behavior, while interior design and decoration, the impact of user demographics, and POE performance indicators are key factors to be considered in green building design strategies and lifecycle evaluation systems.

Development of PARcific Approach: Participatory Action Research Methodology for Collectivist Health Research.

This article explores the evolution of a novel approach designed to advance qualitative methods in cross-cultural health research. This methodology was developed by synthesising several research methods and involved in-depth stakeholder consultation with participants of a Pacific-based nursing and midwifery health leadership program. Many of these participants played a crucial role in creating, exploring and evaluating several research methods and implementing and evaluating this co-designed research methodology. Starting with a Participatory Action Research framework, the research methodology evolved as it was informed by the local Pacific methodologies (in particular Talanoa and Kakala frameworks), where researchers, co-researchers and participants alike, working from within their own collectivist/individualist paradigms, negotiated cultural differences. Finally, a methodological framework of 'best practice' for future health research methods was developed for use with capacity building research. The new methodology could provide a foundation for future co-designed cross-cultural research in collectivist cultures.

Green Airport building certification comparison: a practical approach for Airport Management

ABSTRACT In this study, six certificates have proposed and three of them used by airport terminal building to analyze, measure, and score environmental damage were compared. Certifications handled in the study are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment for Building Environmental Efficiency), SBTool (Sustainable Building Tool), ACA (Airport Carbon Accreditation) and Green Airport and Green Company certificates. As a result, this research gathered the most widely used certificates in the literature. In addition, the Green Airport and Green Company certificate, the first green airport certificate in Turkiye, was added to the study for comparison, which has been offered just for airports. Hong Kong International Airport’s sustainability report was examined to determine how many points it would have received if it had applied for the most widely used LEED, BREEAM, and Green Airport and Green Company Certificates regarding the reported activities. The results have shown that the energy and atmosphere category is vital for all certification systems. Also, the study reveals that LEED gets 89.09 over 100 points, BREEAM 93.1 over 100 points, and Green Airport 75 over 100 points which display BREEAM to get a higher environmental response. This study aims to guide green building practices to decision-makers, which has become necessary in many countries. Employees and managers want to know the quality and quantity of sustainable tasks or planning at airports.

The impact of sustainability rating systems on health and safety in building projects

Sustainable construction has gained increasing popularity within the building sector with many sustainability rating systems (SRSs) available worldwide. However, most research has been focused on the environmental benefits of pursuing SRSs, with little attention paid to the health and safety (H&S) impact on construction workers. This study thus aims to investigate the impact of adopting SRSs on the H&S of construction workers in building projects. A systematic literature review was conducted, including 39 articles, to investigate the possible association between sustainability and H&S hazards. It resulted in 30 events and eight types of associated hazards, which are mostly related to the adoption of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) and Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method SRSs. The adoption of SRSs is likely to increase the exposure of workers to known H&S hazards with no new hazards introduced. In particular, ‘falling from height’ and ‘manual handling injuries’ caused by solar installation and retrieving recyclable waste, respectively, are the most representative sustainability-related hazards. While the evidence detected is mainly related to Leed, further research is needed to investigate whether findings are valid for other SRSs, such as the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method in the UK or Green Star in Australia, to address H&S concerns associated with sustainable building projects.

Bibliometric Analysis of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE): Current Status, Development, and Future Research Directions

The application of post-occupancy evaluation (POE) has increased recently, owing to the methodology's ability to improve building performance. However, the procedures employed vary depending on the building's suitability and category. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive survey to explore the state-of-the-art POE research. Bibliometric analysis was used to retrieve 381 POE publications from the Scopus database between 1979 and 2020. VOSviewer software was applied for the visualization and scientific mapping of literature. The study helps researchers understand by offering comprehensive data about the most literate nation contributions, publications' significant sources, and devoted authors to POE publications. The findings revealed that the United States, the United Kingdom, and China had rendered the three most literature contributions; Building Research and Information were the top publication's significant source titles, and Hassanain, M.A. is incredibly devoted to POE publication. Research hotspots in the POE focus on building performance, architectural design, and sustainable development. The primary themes in POE concentrate on comfort, sustainability, performance, design and criteria. Future research should emphasize that POE is used on heritage buildings to ensure that these buildings perform well for sustainability. It will significantly value the people involved in the design, construction and also conservation practice.

Discussion on Geotechnical Engineering Investigation and Analysis of High-rise Building and Application Research of Foundation Treatment Technology

Discussion on Geotechnical Engineering Investigation and Analysis of High-rise Building and Application Research of Foundation Treatment Technology

Conceptual arguments on the use of unlatched reverse swing “flappy” door smoke control systems in residential buildings

PurposeThe proposed use of unlatched, reverse swing flappy doors is becoming widespread in the design of residential common corridor smoke control systems. This article explores the conceptual arguments for and against the use of these systems.Design/methodology/approachThis article relies on industry experience, with reference to relevant building design practices, standards and research literature, to categorise arguments. These are collated into four common areas of concern relating to compartmentation, reliability, depressurisation and modelling practices. A final comparison is made between different common corridor smoke control system types for these four areas.FindingsThe article highlights several concerns around the use of flappy door systems, including the enforced breaches in stair compartmentation, uncertainties around system reliability, the reliance on door closers as a single point of failure, the impact of day-to-day building use on the system performance and the false confidence that modelling assessments can provide in demonstrating adequacy. The article concludes in suggesting that alternative smoke control options be considered in place of flappy door systems.Originality/valueDiscussion on the use of flappy door smoke control systems has been ongoing within the fire engineering community for several years, but there is limited public literature available on the topic. By collating the common arguments relating to these systems into a single article, a better understanding of their benefits and pitfalls has been provided for consideration by building design and construction professionals.

Priorities of China\u2019s participation in global malaria elimination: the perspective of malaria endemic countries

BackgroundMalaria is one of the major diseases affecting global health, while progress in malaria control and elimination has stagnated in some endemic countries. China has been certificated malaria free by World Health Organization in 2021, and will get more involved on global malaria elimination. Further discussion is needed on how to collaborate with the malaria endemic countries and provide effective help. This study was to investigate the perceptions of malaria endemic countries on China’s contribution to global malaria elimination and to lay a foundation for further action.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants including national malaria project managers and technicians from malaria endemic countries. Thematic framework approach was used to analyze the data.ResultsMalaria endemic countries now face challenges in insufficient funds, technique, products, public health systems and inadequacy of international assistance. They hold a positive attitude towards cooperation with China and identified experience and technique exchange, personnel training, system building and scientific research cooperation as prioritized areas.ConclusionsChina could make full use of its own advantages in technique transfer, health system improvement, information system construction, and health human resource training and take an active part in global malaria elimination.